1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to outdoor garments and sports wear, and particularly to a waterproof or water resistant thermal insert for the seat area of lightweight pants providing warmth and protection from moisture.
2. Description of Related Art
Various sports, such as hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, etc. involve spending long hours outdoors, often in the early morning hours, and entailing exposure to cold, wet weather and long periods of sitting in dew moistened grass and underbrush while waiting to catch sight of game. Traditional hunting pants are often heavy, bulky, and noisy, tending to tire the hunter by the time he arrives at his destination, or making him sweaty from having too much clothing on. Heated cushions, such as those made from polystyrene and other plastics, provide some warmth and comfort, but tend to be noisy, slippery when sitting on inclines, and inconvenient to carry. Foam cushions are quieter, but do not provide warmth for the buttock area. What is needed is a means for providing lightweight pants with thermal and waterproof or water resistant protective insert for the seat of the pants and the back of the thighs.
Various attempts have been made to provide sportswear and outdoor garments with inserts or multiple layers for one or more purposes. U.S. Pat. No. 4,894,867, issued Jan. 23, 1990 to Cervalo, et al., discloses shorts with a slit in the outside of the leg temporarily secured by a hook and loop fastener, which may be equipped with flexible padding comprising a wear resistant lining and foam rubber interior, the padding being placed in the rear right-hand and left-hand quarters and extending into the leg portions, in order to provide protection when sliding into bases.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,649,328, issued Jul. 22, 1997 to Eugene C. Martin, describes a Shock Absorbent Abrasion Resistant Sports Garment, being a pair of shorts for in-line skating having inner and outer shorts. The outer shorts have pockets for inserting padding, while the inner shorts have pads with three layers: an inner layer of polyester-nylon blend, a middle layer of high density open cell foam, and an outer layer of nylon tricot.
United Kingdom Patent No. 1,583,447, published Jan. 28, 1981, teaches a one-piece survival suit made from warp knitted nylon fabric, transfer-coated with polyurethane, in which the seams are sewn and subsequently sealed by high frequency welding.
A general All Weather Garment for snow weather is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4, 993,077, issued Feb. 19, 1991 to Maurice L. Robison. The garment has three layers, the middle layer comprising four panels of waterproof textile fabrics of nylon fibers, at least one side being coated with a thermoplastic resin such as PVC, the panels fastened by heat sealing the seams to prevent moisture seepage, the side seams of the panels being sewn to the inner layer of the garment.
Work Pants, primarily for use by roofers, are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,038,408, issued Aug. 13, 1991, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,634,215, issued Jun. 3, 1997, both patents issued to David N. DeBaene. The '408 patent describes pants having a rear panel formed from a single piece of leather. The '215 patent discloses pants with a seat having overlay panels made from a blended weave of nylon and polypropylene with a polyurethane coating for waterproofing and neoprene foam pads at the knees with a polyurethane coating.
A variety of layer garments have been used to improve clothing for water sports. U.S. Pat. No. 4,907,295, issued Mar. 13, 1990 to Mamoru Yasuda, teaches a diving suit with pads in the hip and thigh areas sewn between and inner and outer shell, the pads being neoprene foam, the inner shell being PVC and a fabric of natural or synthetic fiber, and the outer shell being a resin coated cloth.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,068,920, issued Dec. 3, 1991 to Robert D. Bray, describes a dry suit for water skiing made of nylon fabric having a polyurethane interior coating, having a patch on the exterior of the seat made from nylon 1 or 2 neoprene, which is a 1.5 mm layer of neoprene with either 1 or 2exterior skins of nylon or Lycra.RTM. spandex laminated together. The patch is adhesively secured with neoprene cement over the entire surface, and stitched to the suit at the outer perimeter, preferably at the side seams.
United Kingdom Patent No. 1,599,555, published Oct. 7, 1981, shows a material for diving suits comprising a layer of stretchable synthetic woven material having an impervious skin of a synthetic plastic material and a layer of open celled foam elastomeric material, and may also have a layer of extensible toweling fabric.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. In particular, none of the above are seen to comprise an insert for the seat and thigh area of a lightweight pair of pants, including an outer waterproof layer and an inner layer of temperature regulating fabric for warmth and comfort. Therefore, there is a need for the thermal insert for outdoor sports pants of the present invention.